Bush found guilty in January in molestation case

A judge sentenced Scott Bush to life in prison after a jury found him guilty on charges of sexual battery, lewd and lascivious molestation and battery.

Bush was investigated twice in the past decade after allegations that he raped or molested two girls under the age of 12 in his home. Both girls are now adults and claim Bush would sleep with them, have intercourse with them and stare at them as they showered.

During sentencing, Bush's defense team tried to justify a new trial by entering a journal into evidence from his oldest victim. The journal, from 2001, indicates nothing about the rapes, according to his defense team.

Bush said he found the journal in his garage.

Judge Julie O'Kane said the journal is not a private diary but rather a school assignment where she could hide that fact she was being abused. She denied a new trial and sentenced Bush to life in prison.

"I'm innocent of these charges, your honor," said Bush. "I have not done these things that you have egregiously stated against me. There is a multitude of people behind me that also believe that this is not true."

While the prosecution recommended Bush be sentenced to life in prison, his son and girlfriend testified on his behalf.

"He's a man of good character," said Bush's girlfriend, Katherine Pitts. "There was absolutely no indication that he would do something so horrible. I would not ever be around someone who would do that, something."

The victims briefly spoke after the verdict was read in January and thanked the court.

"I feel like I don't want him to do to anyone else what he did to me," said one of the victims.

"Hopefully I can sleep now and stop having nightmares at night," said another victim.

"Shame on you girls for lying," Bush said as he was led away from the courtroom in handcuffs.

The five-man, one-woman jury took 45 minutes to decide on a verdict.

Bush's case led to the ousting of former Windermere Police Chief Daniel Saylor. At trial, he said repeatedly that he was not trying to cover up the rape investigation of Bush, despite the fact that he pleaded guilty to that crime and was jailed for it.

CASSELBERRY AND BOOKED INTO THE SEMINOLE COUNTY JAIL ON NO BOND. SCOTT BUSH WILL SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON. BUSH WAS CONVICTED OF RAPING TWO GIRLS UNDER THE AGE OF 12. TODAY A JUDGE SENTENCED BUSH TO LIFE IN PRISON BUT NOT BEFORE BUSH BROUGHT NEW EVIDENCE IN THE CASE TO COURT. WESH 2'S GREG FOX IS LIVE AT THE ORANGE COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO. WHAT WAS THIS NEW EVIDENCE? HE SAID HE FOUND IT IN HIS GARAGE A FEW DAYS AGO. IT WAS A COMPOSITION NOTEBOOK THAT BELONGED TO THE OLDEST VICTIM IN THIS CASE AND HE SAID THAT WOULD BE STRONG ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO WIN HIM A NEW TRIAL. DO YOU REMEMBER SEEING THAT? SCOTT BUSH'S ATTORNEY SUGGESTED THE CONTENTS OF THIS JOURNAL BELONGING TO THE OLDEST OF TWO VICTIMS WAS PROOF HE WAS NOT A RAPIST. WRITTEN IN 2001 AT A TIME THE VICTIM SAYS SHE WAS BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED, THERE IS NO MENTION OF IT IN THE JOURNAL. BUT THE PROSECUTOR ARGUED THIS WAS NOT A PRIVATE DIARY AND THAT IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR VICTIMS TO HIDE CRIMES. THE JUDGE AGREED AND DENIED BUSH'S MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL. HE IS A MAN OF GOOD CHARACTER. HIS GIRLFRIEND THEN TESTIFIED BUSH HAS NEVER SHOWN SIGNS OF COMMITTING SUCH CRIMES. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION THAT HE WOULD DO SOMETHING SO HORRIBLE. I WOULD NOT BE AROUND ANYBODY THAT WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. BUSH THEN MADE ONE FINAL PLEA. I HAVEN'T DONE THESE THINGS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I AM HERE. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I AM BEING GIVEN A SENTENCE LIKE THIS FOR A CRIME I DIDN'T COMMIT. AFTER THAT, THE JUDGE SENTENCED HIM TO LIFE FROMN PRISON. THANKFULLY AFTER MANY YEARS AND THE VICTIMS BEING PERSEVERING THROUGH ALL OF IT, THEY FINALLY DID GET JUSTICE. THE CASE ENDS A THREE-YEAR SCANDAL THAT BEGAN WITH THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF WINDERMERE POLICE CHIEF DAN SAYLOR FOR COVERING UP THE BUSH RAPE INVESTIGATION. BUSH'S SON ALSO TESTIFIED THIS AFTERNOON TELLING THE JUDGE THAT HIS DAD WAS A GOOD MAN AND DID